Motivation and EVS – experience

The children-club Upsala is a leisure time center for children and youth. That´s why we are interested in offering them a variety of activities. One of these activities is aimed at intercultural learning. One important reason for the examination with intercultural and international topics is caused by the fact that some of the childrens and youngsters in our institution have an intercultural/international background (Turkye, Russia, Spain, Poland,..). Besides, one year ago an Hungarian girl did an internship in our institution. Of course she needs some time and space to step into our culture and language. But she also had a lot of informations about her language and culture to give to the guests as well as to the staff of the Upsala. The children were very impressed by this experience and came up with a lot of questions about her country and culture.

All these experiences were very  important for the visitors of the children-club Upsala. An EVS-volunteer gives us the possibility to work continiuously on this topics and he/she is an enrichment for the employees and visitors of the Upsala. Besides, we like to show the volunteer our idea of Germany: tolerance, joy of living and partnership in working together on the realization of projects.

Of course we think that the EVS is an very important part of youth and community work, which is and should be a regular task in youth organisations.But we are also always happy, when young, motivated volunteers are willing to support the employees in running different projects in our center and to give a new input on our projects.

Description of the organisation

The children-club Upsala is an institution of the district office Pankow in Berlin and thats why the Upsala is a public institution. The Upsala is independent from political or economical interests. We are working with all children and young people despite their ethic, religious, social or political background. Our work is related to the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Child and Youth Services Act. An important part of both laws is the rejection of racism, fascism, sexism and xenophobia.The main task in the Upsala is to offer a variety of leisure time activities to the children and youth.

Nearby our institution are 4 elementary schools. That´s why the target group of our club are children aged between 6 and 13 years. The target group of our club library are children as well as adults of the area.

At the moment 2 employees  with pedagogical tasks are working in the Upsala. Besides there is a number of temporary employees and voluntary workers in the club, who work irregulary on special tasks.

To give an overview and make possible a deeper understanding of our institution follwos the presentation of the premises, our different offers and the principles of our work.

PREMISES:

There are two seperated parts of our institution. On one side the club library which is used for and by children among 10 years and which has the function of a shielded area for the youngest guests of our house. On the other side there is the club for children up to 13 years.

The following premises are existing (seperated in the two different parts of the institution):

CLUB

1) function and event room --> used for varied activities and courses (like disco, cinema, lectures and dancing courses, etc.) and it is also used for playing table tennis

2) cafè --> the central place to have a snack, look television, playing games or doing homework

3) billiards room (meeting point for "older" children 10+)

4) creativity workshops --> place for all offers concerning handicrafts (work with different materials, window colour, etc.) and painting

5) kitchen --> seperated into the area of disposal for drinks and snacks and on the other hand a cooking and baking learning room for the children

6) computer room --> there are 4 computers, children 10+ can use the computers or play with the Game-Cube there

7) entrance --> children as well as parents can find informations about our different offers there

8) woodworking shop --> there are 2 workbenches with 6 working places for the children

9) garden --> there is a lot of space for sportive activities like streetball, volleyball, soccer, etc.

CLUBLIBRARY

1) playroom --> for children among 10 years

2) rooms of the library --> approx. 7000 medias like books, CD´s, cassettes, magazines,.. for children and adults

3) creativity workshop --> there are creativity courses for all children

4) (reading-)café --> a place where children can use different medias of the club library and do homework as well

principles of our work:

Basically the offers and the possibilities of our institution are open to all children. There is no selection upon social, personal or political aspects.The cildren are involved into the preparation and implementation of different offers, activities and projects. The aim is to develop and strengthen the self-organisation and participation of the children. The offers allow children to be active  and createactivities or projects together with the pedagogical staff.

leisure activities for children:

The main focus of our work is the open youth work with children and youngsters in the club.

definition:

Visitors come to our children club without obligations. They come to the club to meet other children, to talk to each other, play together, listening to music, just to share their spare time together. Their visit as well as our activities and offers for them are voluntarily. The offers and the atmosphere within the club animates for coming without compulsion and duties.

The open offers are the first step to get in contact with the children and youngsters, for the pedagogical staff as well as among each other. It is the first step to involve children into the project-, organisation- and group work. Institutions working in the filed of open youth work are open rooms for open offers. All children are welcome to use this offers and rooms independent from their social, economical and national background or their physical or/and mental peculiarities. No person neither group will be marginalized.

Open youth work needs to be structured by pedagogical staff, otherwise offers and social work will remain at random and any. Open youth work for children and youngsters is an active process which needs to be structured according to different situations consistently. During this time the social education worker act as an important contact person for the visitors. Beside the parents the social workers are mostly the only adult contact person for the children. Their advice and help in different situations are of big importance for the youngsters.

Within the institution the children have the chance to use different (sport) games like table tennis, billiard, streetball, soccer, board and card games, etc..They are also free to be as active as they want in the daily club activities. They can take part in various workshops and courses. Children who will visit our institution for the first time will be informed by one of the social workers about the different offers and possibilities in our club.

For us it is very important that children aged under 10 as well as youngsters 10+ are visitors in our club. All the different age cohorts need varied activities and offers as well as separated rooms.

social group work:

Social group work mediates special abilities and skills as well as joy for the common work and their results. Group work has it´s origin in open youth work and is a further step which allows due to the higher consistency and liability to reach advanced social targets. Social group work should be an outcome of the daily work within the open space of the children club. Offers should be created together with the youngsters and because of the reason that there is a need for it.

the following groups work within our institution:

1) working with wood (model making) for children 6+

2) aerobic group --> 18+

3) creative designing

4) cooking and baking courses

5) computer course

6) girls group work

7) attire workshop

8) pottery course

9) "discover old games"

10) sport games

11) dancing courses

project work:

Project work is focussed on a common interest and/or action and it is temporary. The common work on a joint project is an other and higher quality of social learning. Project work is a good method to react prompt and in a little while to the needs and wishes of our visitors. Project work can also help to find out if some parts of it can become a regular offer within the children club. It is an important tool of our institution.

the following topics are imaginable:

1) offers just for girls (gender work)

2) theater

3) breakdance

4) stone cutting courses

5) outdoor pedagogical offers

6) music projects

events:

Our events aim often at a broader public than just the inner circle of the institution. They are either the outcome of activities of visitors or organised by the staff. They offer the children the possibility to present themselves, to make new experiences, to learn something and they attract new visitors. Quarterly house- and gardenparties take place. In the first half of the year the open day and the summer party, in the second half of the year autumn- and the christmas party are occur.

Those events give residents, parents, teachers as well as children who do not know our institution the opportunity to experience the whole scope offer of our children club. Those events are organised and realized by many volunteers of our permanent visitors.

Furthermore we organise trips and excursions. Annually we plan 3 - 4 clubtrips (skiing, kanuing, hiking and climping tours) for one week each. Additionally we offer weekend trips during the school breaks. During those measures a close contact between the staff and the children is established. This contact influences our daily work positively. On top of that the children are offered new experiences.

We cooperate closely with schools in our local area. Besides notice boards showing our current activities, we regulary offer different creative workshops during school events. As mutual measure the school choir as well as dancing groups performs at our garden parties. And of course our premises are often used by the schools for parties or activities.

club library:

Apart from 7000-8000 books, Cd´s, cassettes and magazines offered to young people and adults, we have a small secured area for children under 10 years old.

After receiving a clubcard for the library adults and children of our area can borrow books for free. We plan to extend our library contentwise in future.

gender related work:

In order to reduce disadvantages for girls and young women we offer space and activities to develop and strengthen independence and self-realization for them. Parallel offers for boys and young men are indespensable for a positive and equal together of boys and girls.

self gouvernment/participation:

The inclusion of regular visitors in the shaping of the work is an important element of children and youth work. Therefore children need space and opportunities to take over responsibilities. Even though it is a difficult task within our target group, our visitors can active participate in a children club council. There they are welcome to realize their ideas of projects and activities with the support of the pedagogical staff. Also parents participate in a parents association.

public relations:

Quarterly we public information material on our recent offers. For big events we inform via flyer, poster and banner. In schools we inform via notice boards about our activities. The regional newspaper in Pankow receive our programme regulary.

We also present and develop our work in regional networks and panels.

cooperation with other institutions:

In order to strengthen our work we need to extend our cooperation with other children and youth clubs (in Pankow) because in future financial problems can only be overcome by good cooperation.

An other important task of the staff of children and youthclubs is to help youngsters in problematic situations finding the right persons and institutions where they can find proper help.

Project environment / location

The children club Upsala is situated in the district Pankow in Berlin.

Nearby the children club there are 4 elementary schools, one grammar school and one comprehensive school.

The residential estate is marked through old buildings with backyards and this is also a reason for a strong social mixture of the residential estate. There are living a lot of older inhabitants as well as families with children. But we have to mention that a lot of those families remove from our district to Karow (housing estates).

There are only few public places and/or parking areas, where children and youngsters can meet uninterrupted.

The connection to the public transport system is very good. You can reach the Upsala by tram or S-Bahn (20 minutes from Alexanderplatz).

The Upsala children club itself is situated on the first floor of an former kindergarden at the Upsalaer Straße. The second floor is used by the NGO Klax e.V.. Each institution have an seperated entrance.

Responsibilities of the volunteer

The focus of our work is to offer activating, sporty and adventure-based learning activities. Part of our work are events (excursions, trips and thematic parties), the area of open youth work with teaching aids like streetball, soccer, table tennis, billiard, etc.. We also organize sport games and dancing courses. An other focus are creative offers and courses in different workshops (pottery, wood, handicraft, etc.). Each week we offer cooking and baking courses.

In all these different fields/areas the volunteer will have the possibility to gain knowledge, get new experiences and to support the pedagogical staff. The volunteer will get to know the team and she/he will have the chance to work in a team as well as independently.

Our future volunteer will have the opportunity to bring in all their ideas and talents into the daily work. New ideas are very welcome.

The volunteers are provided the chance to chose a focal point according to their interests and talents, for which he or she will be responsible during their EVS (of course always with the favored and needed support).  

The volunteers who would like to do the EVS at the Kinderfreizeiteinrichtung Upsala  should have the following attributes/skills:  

The volunteers should be tolerant and openminded. They should be interested in working together with children. They should also be interested in sport activities. If the volunteer is not able to speak German at the beginning of the EVS it is important that he/she is open and willing to learn German. The volunteer should be open to show his/her cultural background in the daily work with the visitors and the staff of our institution. But they do not have to arrive with a clear structured concept of their voluntary year, this will be developed together.

Regarding the sending organisation, we have no special wishes.

The expression of interest of the Upsala can easily be obtained by those interested at the internet page of "go4europe". People who are interested can contact our coordinating organisation. Moreover, before the selection interviews with new volunteers, all (accredited) sending organisations are informed by the coordinating organisation and are asked to send them the applications of interested juveniles. As volunteers do not need special knowledge of their EVS in the Upsala, our project can be interesting for a notably high number of adolescents.

Risk prevention, safety and support

As soon as the volunteers arrive, they will be introduced to the project, the colleagues and their field of work as well as their personal tutors. The latter will aid them not only with their personal problems but also with difficulties concerning their work. Volunteers can choose by themselves whom to address as their contact person (does not have to be their assigned tutor). This is possible because each staff member is informed about the EVS.

Furthermore, the adolescents will be supported in establishing contact with ex-evs, who can become a second backup next to the people in their actual working position. The VJF will also encourage them to approach other volunteers (e.g. from other coordinated projects).

In addition, frequent feedback discussions should provide them the opportunity to bring up possibly occuring problems immediately and in safe setting, and as a group, they can find a solution together. The second target of these feedback discussions is to attend the volunteer in their personal, social and theoretical learning process and to concretize tasks.

The contact between the hosting and sending organisation will be hold up during the whole duration of the project to ensure the possibility to intervene in case of tensions or crisis.

In the facility, the volunteers are instructed to all areas concerning work and fire prevention. They are also introduced to the particularities of the building and the usable open spaces. Moreover, there will be an extensive introduction to the conditions (fire prevention, escape routes, arrangement of the keys and so on) of their quarters where the volunteers will be accommodated during their staying (together with the VJF).